Beyond the Abyss
by Kesseki
Summary: ToA drabbles and oneshots ranging from angst to rabid crack.
1. Meaning of Death

**A/N**: Welcome. This is "Beyond the Abyss", which is a rather lame title that I just thought up. This will be a collection of one-shots and drabbles centered on Tales of the Abyss, which is probably, like, my favorite game ever. For now, anyway. Warnings will precede each chapter, so don't blame me if you get spoiled or read something that freaks you out. Updates will happen whenever I feel like it, and will likely be extremely sporadic. Also, I do take requests, but if you want something specific then you must **be** specific.

**Title:** Meaning of Death

**Warning(s):** Knowledge of Jade and Nebilim's past is recommended.

**Rating:** G

**Words:** 409

**For:** ---

Professor Nebilim was perhaps the only person that Jade had ever felt any remorse about killing. Monsters were considered insignificant nuisances and soldiers were expected to die; whether they did so at Jade's hands did not matter.

But years later Jade still regretfully recalled how his time with the professor had been cut short due to his own foolishness. Nebilim was not the only person who meant something to him, but she had been the first person he had ever considered on the same level as himself. Before then, anyone else was categorized. Some were subjects to take the brunt of his repertoire of non-lethal fonic artes, such as a few of the adults who believed that Jade would allow himself to be controlled merely because he was young. Others were bothersome tagalongs like Saphir. Even fewer were those that he didn't mind spending time with at all, such as Nephry.

Nebilim had also been the first person to treat Jade as though he were really his own age. She recognized the sharp intelligence that he possessed, but she always lectured him as though he were an infant clinging to his mother's skirt.

"You are still a child until you can understand what it means to die," she told him one day. "Children can be the cruelest beings until they realize that there is no way to truly restore life to that which has died. The physical form can be recreated with fomicry, but memories, emotions, and a soul cannot."

Jade nodded, listening attentively, and yet not really hearing what she had to say. Nebilim sighed and rested her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Death is permanent. No machines will ever fix it. I want you to promise that if I should die, and someday I will, you will not use fomicry to try to bring me back."

"I promise."

Jade was a liar. And instead of resurrecting his beloved instructor he created a ruthless monster. It had her face and strength, but it did not recognize him, even as it lashed out in attempt to kill him, and then fled into the night.

As Jade nursed the wounds he sustained from chasing off the replica, he was surprised to find that he hardly noticed the physical pain. Instead, there was something heavy settling in his chest and throat. Warm, salty tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

Perhaps he had begun to understand what it means to die.

---

**A/N:** Although I shouldn't, I'm posting this with little revision. I have problems with maintaining consistent tenses (among other things), so if you can note any errors please let me know. I won't bite you, I promise.

I also know little of Nebilim's stance on fomicry, as I've yet to complete all the sidequests, but I took a guess. I just wanted to write something with Jade in it. :)

Now, onto that second playthrough…


	2. Bedtime Story

**Title:** Bedtime Story

**Warning(s):** Spoilers for the later parts of the game. Intended to be AnisexFlorian. Don't know who Florian is? Then you shouldn't read, booooo.

**Rating:** G

**Words:** 465

**For:** ---

Life with Florian certainly wasn't easy. To be fair, being Ion's bodyguard hadn't been a cakewalk, what with the boy always being so naïve and wandering off to stick his nose in other people's problems. Florian was a quick learner, but that didn't make up for his lack of experience in the outside world.

"Florian, chalk is for drawing, not eating!" Anise chastised with all the vigor of a worldly mother. She handed him a cup of water and allowed Florian to wipe his multicolored hands on his pale green smock. Florian rinsed the dusty taste from his mouth and smiled sheepishly. Anise relented. "Just because it looks like candy doesn't mean it is candy." His smile was just like Ion's and never failed to melt Anise.

"Florian, that dog might have rabies!" Anise squealed as he bent over to examine a sickly canine. Florian disregarded the warning and offered a piece of his half-eaten sandwich. It was gobbled up in a flash and the dog only waved its tail weakly as the boy patted its head. Anise sighed exasperatedly, but promised to have someone come by to pick up the dog and take it to headquarters. Florian's kindness was a mirror of Ion.

"Florian, don't push yourself!" Anise pleaded. The replica had spent the entire day running around, reading to the orphans and helping clean the cavernous echoing rooms of the Cathedral. Anise knew the Florian only wanted to repay the Order for their kindness to him and others like him. He wanted to help, and he wanted to belong. Anise grumbled about how he was helping others but making more trouble for her. Still, she stayed and helped him pick up the trash dropped by careless visitors in the courtyard. His determination and perseverance were reminiscent of Ion.

"Florian, what's wrong?!" Anise yelled as she barged into his room. Tokunaga was poised on her back. His sinister, toothy grin didn't bode well for intruders. Florian was curled against the far edge of the bed with his back pressed against the wall.

"I'm sorry, Anise," he said softly. The former Fon Master guardian scanned the room briefly before she allowed her heart to stop beating so furiously. Anise was about to complain about how she needed her beauty sleep when she saw the traces of muddled fear in Florian's forest green eyes. He sniffed quietly. Anise figured that it was another nightmare of his short life before coming to Daath.

Florian's fear of being taken from the warm life he knew now and thrust back into darkness and confinement were not emotions Ion had possessed.

"Um, so… another bedtime story, right?" Anise coughed and struggled to take his mind off of his nightmares. Florian smiled a little and she knew they were fading already.

---

**A/N:** Crap ending. But what I really had in mind was a lot worse (read: Cheesier). I really feel like doing some weird crack pairings.


End file.
